My Hero Academia: Heavenly Restriction

Three thousand. I stared at the numbers, mouth slightly agape as I adjusted my glasses. The motion smudged ink across the lens, but I was too stunned to care.

"Three thousand. God damn." The words escaped in a whisper as I slumped back in my chair, the well-worn Stitch onesie creaking against my desk chair. "At this point, I'm going to be backed up with extra chapters!"

My eyes drifted to the mountain of notes scattered across my desk - character profiles, plot points, and half-finished scenes all competing for space with empty coffee cups and crumpled candy wrappers. A nervous laugh bubbled up from my chest.

"Honestly, I don't know how the MHA Gacha guy did it..." I ran a hand through my messy bun, dislodging two pencils that clattered to the desk. The sound startled me from my daze, and I straightened up, adjusting my hood as the Stitch ears flopped forward.

But they weren't here to see me worry about stuff like that! They hit 3k powerstones, so they absolutely deserved their bonus chapter. My fingers drummed against the desk as I eyed the growing list of plot threads I needed to weave together.

"Alright everyone," I addressed my readers directly, pushing my glasses back up with an ink-stained finger. "You've definitely earned this one. Though I have to say, you're all getting dangerously good at hitting these milestones."

A small smile tugged at my lips as I pulled out a fresh page. "Not that I'm complaining. It's just..." I gestured vaguely at the chaos of my writing space, "I might need to start keeping an emergency plot bunny farm. You know, for situations like this."

I picked up a pen, twirling it between my fingers as I considered the blank page before me. "But hey, a promise is a promise. And you've more than earned this bonus chapter. Though I have to warn you..." 

I leaned forward, lowering my voice conspiratorially, "Next weeks milestone might be a bit more challenging. Can't make it too easy, right?"

======

The world spun back into focus as Camie's body hit solid ground. Her suit's padding absorbed most of the impact, but the rough stone still scraped against her palms. Not the entrance I was going for, fam.

Above her, the dark portal rippled like disturbed water before spitting out three more forms. Yaoyorozu's crimson leotard caught the light as she twisted mid-fall, managing a graceful landing despite the surprise teleportation. Jiro wasn't quite as lucky, her leather jacket flaring as she tumbled and rolled. Kodai, ever efficient, simply dropped into a perfect hero stance, her red and white costume barely collecting dust.

"Everyone good?" Camie pushed herself up, brushing grit from her hands.

"Define good." Jiro's boots scraped against stone as she stood. Her earphone jacks twitched, scanning their surroundings. "Because I'm thinking we're pretty far from it."

They had landed in what looked like an artificial mountain range, all sharp peaks and narrow paths winding between sheer cliff faces. The artificial sky of the USJ dome loomed above, now somehow more ominous than impressive.

"Mountain zone." Yaoyorozu's voice stayed steady, but her fingers drummed against her exposed collarbone - a nervous tell Camie had noticed during class. "We should-"

"Quiet." Jiro's jacks suddenly went rigid. She pressed one against a nearby boulder. "Footsteps. Multiple sets. Coming this way."

Camie grabbed Yaoyorozu's arm, pulling her behind a large rock formation. Kodai and Jiro followed without hesitation, pressing themselves against the rough surface.

"...sure they landed around here?" A gravelly voice echoed off the stone walls.

"Boss said to check everywhere." Another voice, higher pitched but no less menacing. "Find the kids, rough 'em up a bit. Send a message."

"Just don't kill 'em yet. Save that for when All Might shows."

Camie felt Yaoyorozu tense beside her. A quick glance showed the other girl's face had gone pale, though her expression remained determined. On their other side, Kodai simply tilted her head, somehow conveying volumes of strategic assessment in that tiny movement.

"Mm?" The sound was barely a whisper, but Camie had gotten good at reading Kodai's various monosyllabic communications.

"Four of us," she breathed back, keeping her voice just above silent. "Need a plan."

"Can you make anything to help?" Jiro directed the question at Yaoyorozu, who nodded.

"But I need time. And space." Her hand drifted to her exposed midsection. "Creation isn't instant."

"Time we can maybe get." Camie's mind raced. "Kodai, how many small items you got on you?"

"Mm." A slight pat of her utility pouches. Three fingers raised.

"Jiro, range on those sound attacks?"

"Depends on the surface. Rock carries vibrations well, but..." She frowned. "Too much might bring the whole place down on us."

Think, girl. What would Izu do? The thought of him sent a spike of worry through her chest. Where had that portal sent him? Was he okay? 

Focus. He can handle himself. Right now, we need to handle this.

"Okay, fam. Here's what we're thinking." She sketched a quick diagram in the dust. "Momo, you're our heavy hitter, but you need setup time. Jiro's our radar and crowd control. Kodai's got precision strikes. I can make things look real shifty with these illusions."

"Mm!" Kodai's eyes lit up slightly - practically bouncing with excitement by her standards.

"So we use that. Divide and conquer?" Jiro's jacks curled thoughtfully.

"Exactly." Camie grinned. "First, we need to know what we're dealing with. Kodai, got anything metal in those pouches?"

A tiny ball bearing appeared in the other girl's palm.

"Perfect. Jiro, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Sound reflection." Jiro nodded, one jack extending toward the bearing. "Map the area?"

"While I create some basic weapons." Yaoyorozu had already begun the process, her skin glowing faintly.

"And I make things interesting." Smoke curled from Camie's mouth. "Let's show these villains why they shouldn't have messed with 1-A."

The voices were getting closer. Footsteps crunched on loose gravel.

"Mm." Kodai held up the bearing. Ready when you are.

Camie's grin widened. "Time to put on a show."

The bearing went flying, Kodai's quirk activating mid-throw to increase its size. Jiro's jack connected with the rock wall, sending precise sound waves that bounced off the metal sphere as it arced through the air. A three-dimensional map of their surroundings formed in their minds through the echoes.

Eight villains. Spread out in pairs. Armed with various weapons. All looking up at the sudden movement.

"The hell was that?"

Smoke poured from Camie's mouth, spreading and taking shape. Dozens of identical figures appeared on the cliff edges - all perfect copies of the four girls. The villains' heads snapped back and forth, trying to track the suddenly multiplying targets.

"Up there!"

"No, over there!"

"They're everywhere!"

Yaoyorozu's creation completed with a flash - a set of metal staves and what looked like climbing pitons. She passed them out quickly, keeping one staff for herself.

"Remember," Camie whispered as they separated. "They're not expecting us to fight back. Use that."

Kodai flashed a thumbs up before darting into position. Jiro's jacks writhed with anticipation. Yaoyorozu gripped her staff with perfect form.

The first villain rounded the corner, a brutish man with steel-plated skin. His partner, tall and thin with elongated fingers, followed close behind.

They never saw the real attack coming.

Kodai's piton, enlarged to the size of a telephone pole, swept their legs. Jiro's sound wave hit next, the focused blast making their heads ring. Yaoyorozu vaulted over the rock, staff spinning with gymnastic precision to catch the larger villain in the temple. Camie's illusions scattered and reformed, drawing the others' attention away from their fallen comrades.

"Damn brats!"

"Get them!"

But the girls were already moving, flowing through the strategy they'd worked out in those brief planning moments. Kodai's enlarged projectiles forced the villains to dodge into Jiro's sonic attacks. Those who avoided both found themselves facing Yaoyorozu's expert staff work. And through it all, Camie's illusions danced and multiplied, making every shadow seem to hold another opponent.

A villain with stone-like skin charged through an illusion, cursing as it dissolved. Real fear flashed across his face as he realized Yaoyorozu was waiting behind it, staff already in motion. Another tried to scale the cliff face, only to have his handholds suddenly shrink back to their original size thanks to Kodai's precise timing.

"They're just kids!" One villain shouted, frustration evident as another illusion slipped through his fingers. "How are they-"

Jiro's boot connected with his jaw, the speakers in her costume amplifying the impact. "Less talking, more napping."

Five down. Three to go. The remaining villains had backed into a defensive circle, finally showing some tactical sense.

"Mm." Kodai pointed up, then held up two fingers.

"Good call." Camie's smoke swirled. "Momo?"

"Already on it." A grappling hook materialized from her arm. "Jiro?"

"Oh yeah." Her jacks plugged into her boots. "Let's drop the beat."

The synchronized attack came from all sides. Kodai's enlarged pitons rained from above while Jiro's sound waves shook the ground below. Camie's illusions charged from every direction as Yaoyorozu's actual attack came from the one blind spot they'd left open.

Seconds later, it was over.

"Zip ties?" Camie asked as Yaoyorozu began restraining their unconscious opponents.

"Standard capture procedure." She created another set. "Though I'm more concerned about the others."

"Same." Jiro's jacks stretched out, scanning. "No other hostiles in range, but..."

"Mm." Kodai's usual stoic expression cracked slightly with worry.

"Izu can handle himself." Camie tried to project more confidence than she felt. "And he's probably making sure everyone else can too."

"True." Yaoyorozu's hands stilled on the last zip tie. "Midoriya is... very capable."

Something in her tone made Camie look closer. The other girl's concern seemed to run deeper than just general worry for a classmate. Interesting.

"So what's the play?" Jiro asked, returning from her perimeter check. "Try to find the others?"

"First we need intel." Camie gestured at their captives. "Let's see what these guys know about the overall plan. Then we can-"

A massive crash echoed through the facility. All four girls turned toward the central plaza.

"That," Camie said with grim certainty, "is definitely where Izu is."

"Then that's where we're headed." Yaoyorozu stood, determination replacing worry. "But first..."

She created a simple radio from her palm. "Let's see if we can get a message out. The pros need to know what's happening here."

"And if that doesn't work?" Jiro asked.

Camie cracked her knuckles. "Then we make our own rescue party fam."

"Mm!" Kodai pumped her fist.

Hold on, Izu. Camie thought as they began securing their route down. Backup's on the way. Just try not to break too many villains before we get there.

Another boom rocked the facility. 

Or at least save some for us.

===

The darkness spat them out into a half-collapsed cityscape. Debris littered the ground, buildings leaned at precarious angles, and dust hung thick in the air. Bakugo landed in a crouch, palms already smoking.

"Yo, you good?" Kirishima's voice came from somewhere to his left.

"INCOMING!" Manga's speech bubble flashed a warning just as shadows detached themselves from the ruins.

Cannon fodder, Bakugo assessed instantly. The villains moved like amateurs - all swagger, no substance. His lips curled into a predatory grin. "Time to show these extras what happens when they crash the wrong party."

A burly villain with metallic skin charged forward. "Get the brats!"

Bakugo's response was pure instinct. Plant foot, pivot, right palm up - BOOM. The explosion sent Metal-face flying into his companions. "That all you got?"

"SLICE!" Manga's word materialized into razor-sharp kanji, forcing another group to scatter.

Kirishima hardened just in time to catch a punch that would have caved in a normal person's skull. "These guys aren't messing around!" His return strike sent the attacker stumbling back with a cracked jaw.

"BAM! POW! CRASH!" Comic sound effects filled the air as Manga provided cover fire, his quirk turning simple words into devastating attacks.

Bakugo launched himself skyward, using controlled explosions to gain height. Perfect. The elevated view gave him a clear shot at the clustered villains below. "Move or die!"

His next blast carved a smoking trench through the street. The villains scattered like roaches, exactly as planned. Divide and conquer. Basic strategy even these losers should have known.

"Sweet moves, bro!" Kirishima called out as he clothes-lined two villains simultaneously. "Real manly!"

Something about the praise triggered a memory - a much younger voice, eyes shining with admiration.

"Kacchan, that was amazing! Your quirk is so cool!"

The flashback cost him a split second of focus. A whip-like appendage caught his ankle, yanking him from the air. Bakugo twisted mid-fall, detonating his captured leg free. He hit the ground rolling, coming up with both palms blazing.

"Die!" The explosion caught Whip-guy point-blank. The villain dropped like a puppet with cut strings.

More attacked in waves. Bakugo moved on autopilot, muscle memory taking over as his mind drifted to another time...

"Hey, did you hear? The quirkless kid wants to be a hero!"

"No way, seriously?"

"What a loser!"

Four-year-old Katsuki had been heading to the kitchen when he heard crying from the living room. He'd stopped, recognizing Auntie Inko's voice.

"I'm such a terrible mother." Inko's words were choked with sobs. "The doctor said... he'll never have a quirk. And when he asked if he could still be a hero, I... I couldn't even answer him! What kind of mother can't support her child's dream?"

"Inko..." His mom's voice was gentler than he'd ever heard it. "You're not terrible. You're trying to protect him."

"But you should have seen his face! He just wanted me to tell him it was possible, and I... I just want him to be safe. Is that so wrong?"

"Of course not. Look, I'll talk to Katsuki. Maybe he can-"

"No!" Inko's voice turned frantic. "Please don't. He already looks up to Katsuki so much. If he thinks... if he keeps chasing this dream... he'll get himself killed trying to keep up. I can't... I can't lose him, Mitsuki. I just can't."

Young Katsuki's fists had clenched. He understood then - Auntie Inko was counting on him. He had to be strong enough for both of them. Had to protect Deku, even if that meant...

"WATCH OUT!"

Manga's warning snapped Bakugo back to the present. He dodged on instinct as a massive fist pulverized the concrete where he'd been standing.

"Getting distracted?" The new villain towered over him, body rippling with unnatural muscle mass. "Bad move, kid."

"Tch." Bakugo assessed the threat. Enhanced strength quirk, probably some durability too. Built like All Might's ugly cousin. Fine. "You want my attention? You've got it."

He launched forward, explosions propelling him in a zigzag pattern. The villain swung - too slow. Bakugo went low, sliding under the telegraphed punch. Both palms pressed against the villain's chest.

"Bang!"

The concentrated explosion sent Muscle-freak flying through a partially collapsed wall. He didn't get up.

"Dude!" Kirishima's voice held equal parts awe and concern. "Wasn't that a bit much?"

"These idiots came here to kill All Might. They don't get to complain about rough treatment."

More villains emerged from the ruins, quickly surrounding them. Bakugo counted at least fifteen. His palms sparked with anticipation.

"Got a plan of attack?" Kirishima shifted into a defensive stance.

"Yeah." Bakugo's grin turned feral. "Attack."

The fight exploded into controlled chaos. Bakugo moved like a demon, each blast precisely calculated for maximum damage with minimum collateral. No wasted movement. No hesitation.

When did you get so fucking cold?

The bastard had changed so much in ten months. Gotten stronger, yeah, but also...

An explosion cleared his line of sight just in time to see Kirishima take a hit that would have killed someone without his quirk. The redhead barely flinched, hardened fist delivering a devastating counter that put his attacker down hard.

"BOOM!" Manga's quirk created actual explosions now, giving Bakugo a run for his money in the property damage department before coughing. Quirk over usage. 

Bakugo's mind kept drifting to that conversation he'd overheard. To the promise he'd made to himself. To protect Deku, even if it meant becoming the villain in his story.

When did you start caring?

He'd always cared. That was the whole fucking problem. Every insult, every push, every cruel word - they'd all been meant to drive Deku away from hero work. To keep him safe.

But somewhere along the way, the act had become real. The mask had grown into his skin. And now...

"Last one!" Kirishima's declaration pulled Bakugo from his thoughts. The final villain fell, leaving them alone in the destroyed cityscape.

"We need to regroup with the others." Bakugo started toward the plaza. "These cannon fodder weren't the real threat."

"You think everyone else is okay?" Manga's speech bubble showed genuine concern.

"Half-and-half's got more raw power than these losers." Bakugo kept his voice steady. "Bird-brain can handle himself in the dark. Round-face's got decent instincts. And Deku..."

He trailed off, remembering the cold calculation in those once-warm eyes. The fluid grace that had replaced clumsy determination. 

"Deku can take care of himself." The words tasted bitter. 

"Let's move."